


Walking in Circles

by Hllangel



Category: White Collar
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-28
Updated: 2011-06-28
Packaged: 2017-10-20 19:25:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/216294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hllangel/pseuds/Hllangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neal does a lot of theoretical work these days.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Walking in Circles

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [The New Pub](http://thenewpub.livejournal.com), round 1 6/25/2011

It's three months to Neal's hearing, and he's standing in front of the Met.

He can't help but take mental note of where the guards are, where they're looking and how he'd easily be able to get past them and access a side door, given half the chance. Neal tries to think of it as just a mental exercise, something to keep his mind sharp (as if they don't have enough weird cases to do that already).

He's moved on to how he'd find the codes for the employee entrances, and the benefits of scamming the codes versus scamming one of the employees directly and getting his hand on a badge when Peter calls. He's been calling a lot lately.

"Hey, Peter."

"Something interesting at the Met today?"

Neal should have known. Peter's been keeping an extra close eye on him lately, to keep Neal out of trouble. He's invested the last almost-four years in keeping Neal out of trouble, and he's got a lot riding on Neal. Neal wonders if he's got money in the office pool that Jones has been running (four years down the line he still hasn't convinced Jones to cut him in), and if so, which side of the line he put his money on.

"Can't I just take a walk around Manhattan without you calling me?"

"A walk, yes. Casing the Met? No. You've been standing in the same place for 20 minutes."

"I'm not going to steal anything from the Met, Peter."

"I'd be a lot more comfortable if you hadn't added that qualifier. Should I be keeping an eye on the other galleries?"

Neal sighs. It's always like this. Every time he thinks that he's finally proven to Peter that he can be trusted to be in the vicinity of a museum or a bank or a gallery or a jewelry store and not walk off with something valuable Peter manages to make him remember that they're still on opposite sides.

Maybe he'll have more luck when they let him off the leash and there's not a sudden crime spree that fits his former MO. Key word being _former_.

"I have to go."

"Don't forget dinner tonight. And don't turn up with any ill-conceived gifts. I don't want to have to start over with you."

Except that Neal knows that they will, because he's still a _thief_ and Peter will always be a Fed.

He turns and walks away, imaginary theft only half-completed. Maybe one day soon he'll finish it in reality.


End file.
